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Palestinian Presdient Mahmoud Abbas
Photo: AP

Abbas works for truce in Gaza

After meeting between Palestinian president, fighting factions was cancelled, Abbas meets with Egyptian delegation in Gaza in hopes of finding solution for infighting, Israeli attacks

Palestinian President Mahmoud Abbas met with the Egyptian security delegation in Gaza on Tuesday. The parties discussed ways in which an understanding could be reached with Israel to end its attacks on the Strip.

 

The parties also discussed ways in which an internal ceasefire between Fatah and Hamas could be achieved.

 

The meeting came after a meeting between Abbas and representatives of the Palestinians factions, including Hamas leaders, was canceled. The canceled meeting was meant to address security breaches in the Gaza Strip.

 

The official reason for the cancellation, as given by Abbas' office, is the deteriorating security situation in the Strip, and the continued Israeli attacks.

 

On Wednesday, Abbas is expected to appeal to the factions to ask them to honor the security plan set by the Palestinian government, as a precondition for discussing a complete ceasefire with Israel, which would include the West Bank as well as the Strip.

 

Abbas' associates showed little optimism that an understanding could be reached with Israel, and the cancellation of the President's meeting with the Palestinian faction leaders showed that chances of convincing the rivals to put an end to rocket attacks were very slim.

 

On Tuesday evening, Palestinian organizations claimed responsibility for rocket attacks on the Sderot and the western Negev, saying that they would continue firing rockets as long as Israel's attack on the Gaza strip go on.

 

The continued attacks left Abbas' aides fearing that another failure on the part of the Palestinian president would weaken his position against the Israelis.

 

A more optimistic Palestinian source said that "there is an understanding with the Israelis to lower the dosages of the attacks, in order to help Abu Mazen (Abbas) convince the factions to renew the ceasefire."

 

The Palestinians have continued to hold talks with Egypt and other Arab countries, as well as sources from the Quartet, in order to convince Israel to stop its attacks.

 

Despite such talks, Palestinians say that the continued Israeli attacks and the Qassam shooting are severely weakening the chance for calm.

 

Palestinian sources said that at this rate, the chance of carrying out a meeting between Abbas and Israeli Prime Minister Ehud Olmert next week was very slim.

 


פרסום ראשון: 05.23.07, 00:28
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